This invention relates generally to connector means and more specifically to a solderless connector within which a plurality of conductors can be terminated rapidly and simultaneously with a single downward thrust of the conductors and with a resultant strain relief in three dimensions.
A well known type of solderless connector comprises a contact means having a U-shaped portion therein. Slots are provided in each of the legs of the U. The trough of the U is open to permit the insertion of a conductor into the slots in the two legs of the U. One of the slots is narrower than the other and functions to cut through the insulation and press against the wire portion of the conductor with sufficient force to create a good electrical contact therewith. The said other slot is wider and functions to cut part way into the insulation of the conductor but not into the wire portion and to thereby provide a strain relief along the direction of the conductor. This type of contact means is commonly known as a customer applied contact means, deriving its name from the fact that the customer frequently buys the connector and inserts the conductors therein in his own plant facilities. One difficulty with this type of contact means is that no strain relief is provided along the vertical dimensions of the slots in the U-shaped portion of the contact. More specifically an upward force exerted on the conductor will tend to push the conductor out of the slots and thereby destroy the electrical connection. To provide strain relief in the vertical direction of the slots and thereby prevent unauthorized removal of the conductor from the slots, the prior art employs tabs which are integral with the contact means and which are capable of being folded over the conductor to hold it securely within the two slots. Such an arrangement produces a secure and reliable connection. However, the bending of the tabs over the conductor involves an additional increment of time in the installation of the conductor in the contact means. Although such increment of time is very small in the case of installation of a single conductor, it becomes very substantial when millions of conductors are involved. Furthermore, if it is desired to remove a conductor from the contact means it is necessary to unbend the tabs. Another disadvantage of the use of tabs involves the amount of material in manufacturing the contacts. The contacts are usually fabricated from a continuous strip of flat stock material from which the blanks are stamped and then formed into the finished contacts. The need for tabs which extend transversely out from the body of the conductor involves substantially more material than is required for similar blanks without tabs. While the additional material required for a single contact is small such additional material becomes very substantial when millions of contacts are involved.
A primary object of the invention is a simplified customer applied solderless connector means in which a plurality of conductors can be rapidly and simultaneously terminated with three dimensional strain relief characteristics.
A second purpose of the invention is a solderless connector means constructed to terminate one or more conductors by inserting said conductors into said connector means by a single application of force in one direction only.
The third aim of the invention is a solderless connector means for terminating at least one conductor by a single applied force applied in one direction only in such a manner that said conductor will resist removal from said connector in all directions.
A fourth object of the invention is the improvement of customer applied solderless connectors, generally.